A Deeper Connection
by NaleyAlways4Ever
Summary: “Haley can never make Nathan fall in love! He doesn't do love! He does Donald Duck and Geometry” Wanna bet? NALEY
1. Chapter 1

**So, Ihad a great time writing this story. It's one of the funnier once I've written, with a twist of irony in it. I like it very much. I know there have been a lot of stories with the same type of plot, but I like my version of it. If you have read the fisr chapter of my Something More Sequel, you know my situation. Sadly that situation counts for this story as well, but out of the three stories I have published now, I'm most excited about this one! So, please take the time to read and give me feedback!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anythign but my own imagination..**

**Summary: "Haley can never make Nathan fall in love! He doesn't do love! He does Donald Duck and Geometry" Wanna bet? **

* * *

I guess you could say my confidence is pretty high when it comes to guys. They adore me. They worship the ground I walk on. If I wanted it, I think some of them would even kiss my shoes just for the honour to touch me. I'm irresistible to them, and I know it. I've learnt to live with it, and make it work for me. I'm not a slut, but I know how to enjoy life. I guess I dream of finding love, but I don't think it exists for me. Something about commitment scares me in a certain way. Maybe that's because my parents split up when I was seven. I can still remember my Dad leaving the house, only to come back in the form of cotton bills with numbers on them I couldn't care less about. I haven't seen him since, only his money. But only my mother cares about those, cause they can't replace my father in my life.

If someone special were to come along, I don't know if I would recognize him. He would have to be pretty special to stand out from the guys I've already had. They're like candy for me, something I eat and get rid of afterwards. At least they don't make me gain weight like normal food does.. I want to feel wanted, desired in another way than I have so far. I'm longing for someone to see me, and I mean really see me. Not the popular cheerleader, but the girl.

Me.

* * *

_Tree Hill High school - 17th September 2008 – Normal P.O.V._

The fresh fall air silently floated through her hair as she sat inside her newest birthday present. It was a nice car, really fancy and with a cool colour. But Haley couldn't care less about it. She didn't even know which label it was. What was the point? It was just a car.. It was yet another apology for not seeing her the past year. '

Love, Dad..

Ironic..

She started the engine as she begun on her 5 minute drive towards the school.. It wasn't that long. She could have walked with no problem, but she was ordered to pick up her best friend on the way. Even though Brooke lived even closer to the school than Haley did, she still insisted that Haley drove her to school.

As she stopped in front of Brooke's million dollar mansion, she honked the car horn a couple of times before she saw Brooke's silhouette appear. It walked towards her, with the regular cheery smile planted firmly on its face. Haley never really figured out how Brooke managed to smile so much. The thought of smiling that much hurt Haley's cheeks and gave her weird cramps she chose to ignore. Smiling wasn't all that natural for her.

«Good morning, bestest friend. Love the new car!» Brooke exclaimed as she got inside. The leather interior moved along with her body, sending nauseating feelings down Haley's core. She didn't even know if she would keep the car, being as though it in addition to being a symbol of her father's unconditional love for her, also made the whole popularity thing even stronger. Haley wasn't a car expert, but she could see it was expensive, just like everything else she owned. For once, Haley wished she would have gotten a dirty truck to drive instead. Something that wouldn't separate her so much from other, lower ranked students.

"What's up with you today? Not on the top of your game?" The brunette laughed her silky laughter, placing her 500 $ Dior sunglasses on her plastic nose. That's right, Brooke had her nose fixed a year ago, but Haley was the only one who knew. It had always confused Haley why Brooke was so scared to let people know the truth. In Haley's eyes, being rich enough to afford plastic surgery only seemed to make you cooler for the wannabes at Tree Hill High. But maybe Brooke wanted to seem a little less fake than she genuinely was.

"I'm always at the top of my game, Brooke. It's a part of my charm" Haley flashed her pearl white teeth as she pressed down the gas pedal and headed towards their school.

"It's a part of something" Brooke mumbled too low for Haley to hear. The sound of the wind was too loud for thoughts to enter her mind, it was just about the wind. The fresh feeling she got from feeling it spread through her hair. The wind was free. It didn't have to worry about being perfect. If it was too tired to blow, the sun would still love it, and the rain would still be its friend. If only Haley was that free..

"Look out!!" Brooke screamed as Haley's foot slammed down on the breaks. As she lifted her hair back up, she saw a dirty, red truck with worn out tires standing only a few feet away from her. The handsome guy that sat in front of the wheel stared into her eyes, and she could feel her breath getting even heavier than the shock made it. There was something about his eyes that made it impossible for her to look away.

"Eww! Are you crazy!" She could hear Brooke scream at the boy, probably scaring the crap out of him. Brooke could be really scary when she got mad, not that anybody loved her any less for it. The boy seemed to react to her screams as he snapped out of their connection and drove away, heading towards the parking spots on the north side of the school.

"Are you okay, Haley?" Brooke asked her, following Haley's gaze towards the truck who had now stopped, and the guy that had jumped out of it. He turned back and looked at her for a second, before slamming his backpack on his back and lowering his head. Haley watched him as he walked into the school with his head low, staring at the ground.

* * *

Lunch was just as predicted. The same as any day. Nathan sat alone in his truck, eating whatever sandwich his dad had prepared for him in the morning. Today's winner was... Turkey.. Same as yesterday. And the day before. His father was never really the most creative one. As he took the first bite of his meal, his eyes found the blonde girl who nearly ran him over earlier on the day. She sat along with her usual group of friends..

He couldn't hide the fact that he thought she was pretty, but what was the point? She was just like the rest of them. One look at her car told him everything he needed to know about her. Besides, he already knew enough. Just because he was a friendless nerd, didn't mean that he didn't know who captain of the cheerleaders was.

Haley James.

She was gorgeous, undeniably desirable. But she was friends with his cousin, so he knew she would never even talk to him. On the other hand, she had looked at him in a really strange way earlier. It was like she begged him to see her. Begged him to see that there was something more to her. Maybe there was? Maybe there wasn't?.. Her friend certainly didn't seem to feel the same way. But he knew they had recognized him, at least the brunette. She was dating his cousin after all. And the blonde, Haley, she was best friends with them all. How someone could actually be best friends with, not to mention trust, his cousin, Nathan would never understand. As far as he knew, Lucas Scott was a bastard.

He studied the blonde girl closer. She seemed sad, like there was something bothering her. But it was clear that no one else in her precious group noticed it. She usually ate lunch with the lucky guy of the day holding her, but today, she was alone. Maybe she's starting to see how plastic it all is? Or maybe the lucky guy of the day hadn't arrived yet. Regardless of that, she still looked sad. Lost. Maybe even miserable.

What could he do about it? She didn't care about him at all. As far as she was concerned, he was just an unimportant object. Nothing about him would ever make her the slightest bit of something that resembled interested. So what was the point in dwelling over it? It would never happen.. Even if it did, it would change his world so dramatically, it wouldn't be comfortable. He liked things the way they were.

* * *

"I am telling you, he practically ran us over with that piece of trash he is driving!" Brooke continued to blab, giving the rest of their "crowd" the full play-by-play of what had happen before school started. Only a slightly more dramatic version where the boy had come out of nowhere and nearly killed them both. Haley knew it was her fault. She had been too wrapped up in the thoughts of freedom to see him. A part of her felt like apologizing, but then again she didn't know anything about him.

"I'm not surprised. He's trash himself. Who cares?" The bitter and self-confident voice of Brooke's ass of a boyfriend was heard. He seemed to have something against the guy, what, Haley didn't know.

"How come I've never seen him before?" Haley cut in, too curious to let it be. Who was that guy?

"Because he knows better than to get involved with my friends!" Lucas added, letting his tone state just how much he despised the guy. Haley frowned. What could be so bad about him? He seemed pretty harmless..

"Relax, Baby, you don't have all that much in common" Brooke soothed her boyfriend.

"The only thing we have in common is our last name. He means absolutely nothing to me. He's a total loser!"

"You have something else in common as well" The group focused their attention towards the red headed beauty at the end of the table. Rachel Gattina was the biggest slut Tree Hill High had ever seen. Haley didn't care much for her. As far as she knew, Rachel was a strong person, not afraid to speak her mind.

"What does that mean?" Lucas wanted to know.

"Well, you're hot, Luke. And he's not exactly bad on the eyes either! Actually, he's pretty hot as well!" Seems Haley was right. The anger steaming out from Lucas' ears didn't seem to bother her. She still found Nathan, the guy, more than attractive.

"Please! He's never even had a girlfriend. As far as I know, he's a virgin! He's such a loner, not even Ms. Blackstock wants to get in his pants!" The group broke out in laughter, even Haley had to crack a smile at the thought of the old, grumpy librarian at the school, hooking up with Luke's cousin in the janitor's closet.

"He can't be that hard to get into bed!" Haley commented, figuring he must have had a couple of offers based on his looks. He didn't look all that bad to her. If she got the chance, Haley was sure she would have done him. He seemed like a pretty good lay.

"You want to bet? Both his body and his heart is a freaking fortress!" Lucas laughed loudly.

"I don't think that's true"

"Are you willing to make a bet on that?" And there is was, the typical offer that appealed to Haley's competitive side. Haley could never turn down a bet. Especially not something as big as this. Is she succeeded, Lucas, the king himself, would have to kneel for her. The temptation was simply too great to resist.

"What are the terms?" Haley found herself asking him. Somewhere inside, a voice was screaming that this was wrong. He seemed like a nice enough guy, even though all guys were pigs according to Haley's life experience. What were the chances that this one was any different? Slim.. Very slim..

"I give you two months to get him in bed!" Lucas challenged her, sending her a cocky and self-confident grin that only turned Haley more on towards winning.

"Do-"

"No! Wait!" Rachel's annoying voice cut in."Let's make it a little more interesting"

"I'm listening"

"Three months, until New Year's Eve. But you will not only make him sleep with you, you will make him fall in love with you!" Rachel's evil smile spread all the way to her eyes, and they glowed towards Haley. She could feel the voice inside getting even stronger, but how could she possibly back down now?

"Haley can never make Nathan fall in love! He doesn't do love! He does Donald Duck and Geometry" Lucas sneered, lightening a fire inside Haley. How dare he point out that she was unable to succeed? Of course she was! No boy had ever said no to her..

"I'll do it" Haley reviled, directing her response towards Rachel, while keeping her eyes firmly focused on Lucas' icy glare.

"Great!"

"What happens if she can't do it?" Brooke wondered.

"She has to give up her role as cheer captain.. to me" Rachel smirked.

"And what do I get if I succeed?" Haley questioned the red head. Challenging her to come up with something good enough to keep her interested. She wouldn't crush some innocent boy, just to mess with Lucas. There had to be something more, something she really desired. Something her heart ached for. Something like..

"Freedom"

* * *

**So, what do you think? Any thought?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! Thank you so much for all the feedback, and to those of you that have added this story to your alerts or favourites! Here is chapter 2! Enjoy!  


* * *

September 24th**

Fourth period, chemistry. Definitely not Haley's best subject. Luckily for her, Nathan was in that class. Nathan.. That was his name, the poor boy she was about to crush. After some help from some anonymous connections, Haley had gotten her hand son his schedule as well as some basic information on him.

Nathan Scott.

It was pretty weird that she hadn't noticed him earlier. After spending a few days, just studying him from a far, she had decided it was time to approach him and get the plan into business. She had spent the past couple of night, sacrificing her sleep, figuring out how she was going to attack this problem. Step 1, make him talk to her.

As she walked into the classroom, she spotted him in the back. Maybe that was why she had never seen him in that class earlier, he sat alone in the back. He didn't seem to have a regular lab parter. It seemed as though it was only the last, unlucky student who arrived that got to sit next to him. Haley walked with determined steps towards him, and dropped her books on the desk when she arrived. He didn't look up, and it didn't even seem like he realized she was there.

Haley bit her lip nervously before clearing her voice, making his eyes meet hers as he raised his head and looked at her. At first, she saw something close to shock in them. Well, why wouldn't he be surprised? It wasn't everyday she sat next to an unknown geek in class.

"Hi. I'm Haley" She smiled sweetly, holding her hand out for him to shake. He looked confused at her, not responding to her gesture. Haley didn't back down, she stayed in the same position, determined to wait until he had shook her hand. His eyes questioned her before his hand reluctantly lifted up to connect with hers.

"Nathan"

He mumbled his name so low, Haley wasn't sure she would have heard it if she didn't already know it. She could feel little butterflies flying around in her stomach as their hands touched, but the feeling didn't last very long. He carefully shook her hand for a few seconds before he pulled it away and focused his attention down in his book.

* * *

"You don't say much do you?" Haley asked him, half way through the class. They were preparing to go through some questions, and the teacher had told them to work together. His eyes came back up to meet hers. Why was she talking to him? Why had she even sat down beside him? It didn't make any sense..

"Why did you sit down here?"

Haley was surprised that those would be the first clear words he spoke to her. They actually came out a little rude in her opinion.

"Excuse me?" Haley frowned.

"You heard me" When she didn't respond to his request, he figured out he could explain it further to her.

"You don't talk to me. You probably didn't even know I existed until you practically ran me over with your fancy car! People like you, don't talk to people like me. So why did you sit down here? I don't think Lucas would appreciate it very much!"

"I don't give a damn about what Lucas thinks! He doesn't control me!" Haley denied, feeling offended that he had the nerve to speak to her in such a way. Who did he think he was?

"Then who does? Your cheerleader best friend?" He suggested.

"What is your problem? I was just trying to make conversation with you!" Haley blew out, tired of his attitude towards her. She hadn't even done anything wrong, and he was verbally attacking her!

"Look," He sighed. "If Lucas sent you to spy on me, to find something else he can make fun of me for, you can just stop it. Okay? I've had enough" He twisted his head back down in his book, ignoring the offended expression that appeared on Haley's face. She stared at him for minutes, expecting him to come with an apology for the way he spoke to her, but it didn't seem to come. She glanced at the clock, noticing that there wasn't more than a minute left until the bell would ring. Deciding to give him a little guilt trip, something that would hopefully make him come back for more, Haley opened her mouth to speak again.

"Listen. Lucas didn't send me to figure out anything. In fact, he doesn't even know I'm here, talking to you. I'm sorry I was trying to be nice to you. Judging by your reaction, people obviously don't do that very often. Don't worry, I won't bother you again"

She finished with gathering her books and walking quickly out of the classroom, but she did notice the look of guilt he got in his eyes. It clearly told her that he realized his mistake. That also meant that if he was anything close to a gentleman, he would find her and apologize. And when he did, step 2 would begin.

He didn't see her for the rest of the day. They had one more class together, but she wasn't in it. Maybe she decided to skip.. She did that a lot. Apparently, she didn't like health class all that much. He figured he should apologize for what he said, but he did have good reason for saying it!

How often did one of Lucas' closest friends talk to him? Close to never.. Actually, never! When she introduced herself, he experienced for the first time that one of Lucas' friends even gave him a second look. There was something about her eyes. They glowed with something, even though they were pretty dark and seemed very lonely. He could have been wrong, very wrong. But how was he supposed to know she wasn't just as bad as Luke? She certainly hadn't shown any interest in him before, and they had been going to the same school for four years now..

He figured he he could apologize in chemistry the following Monday, hoping she would still be there. Maybe there was something worth saving in her.. Something more than what he first had seen. Maybe they could be friends? No, she wouldn't risk that.. But at least she had talked to him, that was the most progress he had made all year...

**

* * *

September 27****th**

Haley was never early for class, but there was something about this class that wanted her to get there early. Mostly, she was curious to see what Nathan would do today. She knew she had succeeded in making him feel guilty for the things he had said to her. She could see it in his eyes. Although they seemed very closed of, she could still see it in them. They were blue, like Lucas', only much deeper and much more captivating..

She walked quickly into class, feeling like a dork when she saw that she was the first one there. _Great, you're so cool, Haley!_ She thought to herself. She hurried to a seat in the middle of the classroom, wanting to see if Nathan was willing to take a risk as well as speaking to her. Step 2 of the plan was about to get into motion.

Step 2, make him interested

She could feel it when he walked in. No one else had entered yet, and Haley knew he had a million choices when it came to where he would sit. She lifted her eyes to meet his look, and she challenged him with her look. He seemed like he was debating with himself inside his head, wondering if he should sit down next to her or go to his normal seat in the back. Haley's intense look seem to scare him somehow.

Just as other students were heard entering the room, he took a deep breath and walked towards her. He threw his books down next to hers, and sat down in the vacant seat. Haley felt like smiling, but resisted the temptation and continued to stare ahead, letting him make the first move.

"I.." He stammered, getting her attention. "I'm.. ehh, I'm sorry about.. about last week and what.. ehm, what I said"

The way he spoke, how insecure he was. It all made him so adorable to her. It was like there was something reaching out from inside of him, capturing her complete attention and refusing to let her go. Something, intoxicating and dangerous..

"It's okay" She smiled. "I understand why you would think that"

"All right" He smiled slightly himself, showing her the little dimple that was created beside his mouth. It was nothing less that adorable.. He looked so untouched, and she felt a bang of guilt inside, knowing what she had planned for him. But, Haley quickly decided to bury those thoughts and shove them so far back that they wouldn't resurface until she was left to deal with the consequences of her actions.

They still hadn't spoken again half way through the class, so when the teacher asked them to work on solving problems again, Haley decided to use her charm. Hoping to addict him to her.

"Nathan" She whispered, catching his attention. "I don't get this. Can you help me?"

He looked at her curiously before nodding and opening her book on the right page. It amazed Haley how comfortable his voice was. She listened to him explain everything there was to know about their current subject, and when he asked her questions, she was able to answer them perfectly. Every time she understood something new, she would smile the biggest and most genuine smile she owned, and he would return it with one of his own, showing her that dimple she liked so much.

"I get it now, thank you! If only the teachers had been as good at this as you!" Haley laughed as they finished. She could see Nathan's cheeks blush at her compliment, which again made her laugh.

"I'm serious! Have you ever thought about becoming a teacher yourself?"

"Maybe" He shrugged, clearly back in his shell of insecurity.

"Why not? I think you'd be great at it!"

"Thanks" He mumbled as he blushed again. The light pink colour that decorated his face only made him more attractive than he already was, and Haley could feel herself being drawn to him. She knew it was bad, but she couldn't help it. There was something about him. Something more than she first had seen.

**

* * *

October 8****th**

Nathan and Haley continued to be parters in chemistry, and they had begun talking more and more. Haley could feel him warming up to her, and she felt like it was time to introduce step 3, spend time outside school.

For the fifth time, Nathan was now explaining the subject of the day for her, but Haley didn't understand anything. She had been too busy to think about how best to start step 3 to pay attention to the teacher, and now she was paying for it.

"I really don't get it, Nathan! I think I might be stupid!" She exclaimed after giving the wrong answer to the question for the third time.

"No, Haley, you're not stupid! You just need to learn how to pay attention!" He argued with her. It had been revealed to Nathan over the past days that Haley wasn't anywhere near as bad as he first thought. She was actually pretty nice, and he had started to feel quite comfortable around her. He might even have begun to trust her a bit, and for Nathan, that was a gigantic step to take.

"I'm really having a hard time with school. It's not just chemistry! I can't understand anything in health class either! And that's the easiest subject I have!"

"Maybe that's because you skip all the time?" Nathan offered, laughing at her childish expression.

"I just feel like giving up!" Haley revealed. She had too many thoughts on her mind to focus on school. Cheerleading took a lot of time, as did quality time with her friends. School just didn't capture her attention anymore.

"Well, I guess I could. You know.. Maybe, help you out? If you'd like?" Nathan's nervous and insecure voice called out to her as she gave him a questioning look.

"What do you mean? Like do my homework for me?"

"No! Like.. Ehm.. Like" He blushed furiously. "I could tutor you" He finished in a low and embarrassed voice. His suggestion caused fireworks to light up inside Haley. She knew this was her chance to get closer to him, to earn his trust and make him open his heart up. This was the key to step 3.

"Really? You'd do that for me?"

"Yeah, if you need the help"

**

* * *

October 16****th**

Brooke watched carefully as Haley ate her lunch for the day. Something was different about her. Her eyes seemed brighter than before, like she had found something enjoyable in her life for once. Brooke was fully aware that Haley was a miserable person. She had tried hooking her up with numerous hotties from different sport sections of their school, but nothing seemed to work. It had come to the point where Brooke started to think Haley might be gay, if it wasn't for all the boys she usually screwed at parties. Come to think of it, Haley hadn't done anything with anyone in weeks! Not since she made the stupid bet with Lucas about crushing that loser's heart.

What also struck Brooke as unusual, was Haley's current occupation. She was reading in her chemistry book.. Haley James never did homework! She never cared enough to try.. So what in the world would cause her to read chemistry during lunch period? Something was way off..

"What's so interesting, Hales?" She asked, trying to capture her best friend's attention and drag her away from the stupid collection of paper she was reading. What a waste of trees! Making books was just a waste of nature.. School was created so you could hook up with hot boys and be social with your friends, not to read books.

And Brooke found it hard to understand why people didn't consider her the sharpest tool in the box!

"I'm trying to get ahead with this subject. I finally understand what it's all about and I wanna be prepared for class" Haley mumbled as she continued to bury her head in her notes. Brooke rolled her eyes, not understanding how her best friend had suddenly become so boring! What was she a geek now?

"Excuse me, but who are you and what have you done with my best friend?"

The question had Haley pulling quickly out of her concentration. The deep frown was evident on her face, and you could see she didn't exactly approve of her friend's comment.

"What do you mean?"

"When did you turn in to such a bookworm, Hales? You used to be fun.. Now you read.. What happened?" Lucas cut in, being his usual jackass self. He never cared much how his behaviour affected the people around him. So not much had changed in Lucas-land, Haley concluded.

"Ehm, in case you didn't know; It's senior year. Grades actually count now, and I wanna go to college. And to do that, I need better than a D in chemistry!" Haley bit out, irritated at her friends. How she put up with them, she would never understand. The only reason they were really friends was because of their equal money and fame. Plus, their families were tight. They shared interests such as money, money and.. oh gosh, more money! Haley found it more and more despicable as the went by.

"Like your Daddy couldn't just by you into the best college in the country!" Lucas pointed out, hitting Haley where it hurt the most.

"Fuck you, Lucas!" Haley mumbled, hoping he wouldn't hear but at the same time hoping he would. It wasn't that she was afraid of speaking her mind with him, Haley wasn't afraid of doing that with anyone. But she knew how Brooke got when she was a bitch to Lucas, and she didn't feel like starting world war three quite yet.

"So I take it you're reading to impress your quest then?" Sometimes Haley just wished the red-headed bitch would disappear. Of course Rachel had to but into their conversation! Who else?..

"Why would you say that?" Haley challenged her.

"I saw you talk to him in health class yesterday, which is funny because you used to skip that class all the time! Now, you're suddenly there everyday! Just wondering where your sudden involvement came from.."

"Have you nailed him yet then?" Lucas interfered.

"It takes a little more that a month to fall in love, Luke. You would know, wouldn't you? Considering you're the one in a steady relationship!"

"There is no need to be bitch, Hales! He was simply asking you a question!" Brooke accused her, coming to his defence like always. Haley felt a fight coming on. Great! She felt herself sight deeply as she tried her best to calm down.

_Walk away, Haley.. Just walk away.. _

"I'm not hungry anymore.. I'll see you later, Brooke" Haley quickly removed herself from their table as she walked away with determined steps. Her chemistry book caught her attention as she made a u-turn and headed towards the parking lot. She could feel the eyes that were buried in her back as she looked around for his old truck.

When she saw it, she took the time to study it for a while before walking over to it. The car wasn't all that bad when you really admired it. Actually it was the type of car Haley had always wanted. It looked so experienced and full of life. Ironic, considering the boy who sat inside was anything but.

All right, that was a lie. Haley knew there was so much more to Nathan than what he showed her at first. After a month, she couldn't deny the connection they had! He wasn't all that bad, she preferred him over his ass of a cousin. It made Haley sad to think that he was so alone. Who ate lunch in their car everyday? Lonely people, that's who..

Nathan was anything but prepared for having a girl jump into the passenger seat of his truck. To say it shocked him was more of an understatement. It stunned him completely.

"Haley?" He asked as soon as he found the words, his eyes matching his confused face-expression.

"Sorry" Haley mumbled as she looked down at her her hands which were resting in her lap.

"What are you doing here?" He asked again, still very confused.

"I just had enough.. I needed to escape, saw you and decided to take a shot!" She explained, carefully lifting her head to meet his eyes. They shared a moment of stillness, just looking into each other's eyes before Nathan shook out of it and looked down.

He couldn't let himself be vulnerable around her. If he gave her an in with him, he was sure he'd get hurt. Right? That's what people like her do. They hurt you..

But, Haley was different, right? He was sure she was. Over the last month he had actually come to like her a lot. Haley was carefree and fun. She represented all the things he secretly wanted, but never had the guts to explore.

"Why me?" The question shocked her a little. His insecurities were amazingly hard to overcome. They were her biggest problem when it came to earning Nathan's trust. Clearly, he had experienced a lot of crap over the years, making him close himself off to others.

"I don't know" She honestly replied, but decided to add something when she saw the disappointment in his eyes. "I guess I feel like I don't have to put up an act with you"

Haley knew it was risky to open herself up to him. If she shared personal feelings and thoughts with him, she could easily hurt herself as well, not just him. But what really sucked was that she had started to care about Nathan. He was a great guy!.. If her captain spot on the cheerleading squad hadn't meant so much to her, she would have backed out of the bet after their first encounter.

Haley was a selfish bitch, and she knew it.. But she couldn't keep herself away from Nathan. She wasn't lying when she said she felt free with him. That freedom she had been searching for, she found it with him. Too bad she was gonna have to give it up in a little over two months..

"Then why do you hang out with them? If you can't be yourself around them?"

"I don't even know anymore. I guess we're just friends by association"

Nathan fell silent again. The whole association thing caused him to slip into deep thoughts. It was all so surreal for him, this friendship he had built with Haley. She was the only friend he had and had become an important part of his life. He wanted to get to know her better, to know more about her feelings and problems. He wanted to open himself up to her, but he was terrified it would backfire.

"You wanna do something crazy with me?" Haley suddenly brought him out of his thoughts as he looked sceptically at her.

"Like what?" She could hear the doubt in his voice, but Haley was determined to make him live a little. Like his car! He needed to get out of his shell and break free from his fears, and she was gonna help him do it!

"Skip school with me" The second she reviled her plans, she could see the protests form in his mouth.

"Shhh" Haley quickly added as she brought her finger up to silence his lips, feeling the butterflies spring up in her stomach as her finger touched him. She could see the reaction he felt in his eyes as well. That was good, right? She caused him to feel something when she touched him, that had to be good!

"Just for today, Nate. I need to get away, and you need to loose up a little! You need to live! You've been hiding away in your car for far too long now. Time to do something crazy for once in your life!"

"Haley.." He hesitated.

"Come on, handsome. I promise, you'll have fun!"

It took several seconds before the scepticism in his his eyes went away. He still kept his eyes staring into hers as he twisted his keys and turned the engine on. The smile that spread across Haley's face was indescribable. He had never seen it so big before, and it felt good knowing he brought it on. She couldn't fake that smile, or the emotions he saw in her eyes. He knew they were real.. They had to be..

* * *

**That's all you get for now, hope you're satisfied. Someone wondered earlier what the whole Freedom thing meant, and to be honest I can't explain it with an action. It's more like; Rachel knows Haley hates her life. She knows that she just wants to get away and be free from the whole popularity thing, the preassure of always being perfect. SO she suggested freedom as in no more preassure from her part and no more expectations.. if that makes sense.. I don't know :P It just made the whole thing a bit deeper..**


	3. Chapter 3

"So, I feel like we've gotten to know each other well over the last month. But I still don't know much about you.." Haley led on as they walked further down the docks. They were both eating an ice cream, even though it was chilly October outside. But neither cared, walking beside each other kept them warm on the inside. But neither wanted to admit that to the other.

"I have major trust issues, I can tell you that much.." Nathan reviled.

"Yeah, I've picked up on that" Haley commented as they shared a small laugh. "But, come on. Tell me something about yourself!"

"Such as?"

"Tell me about your life before you came to Tree Hill" She suggested, hoping he wouldn't close himself off again. It was clearly a hard subject for him, but she hoped they had built up enough trust to open themselves up that much.

"I don't know.." Nathan hesitated.

"You can trust me, Nathan.. I trust you, so I hope you'll do the same for me"

"All right.." He sighed deeply before continuing. "My life used to be great. I had everything I needed; a good home, great parents, good friends. Nothing fancy like you've got, but enough for me. I went to an okay school, played basketball. I was happy"

He stopped speaking and looked like he was struggling to continue.

"What happened?"

"My mum got diagnosed with breast cancer. They didn't catch it until it was far into development, full recovery wasn't possible. They gave her all kinds of treatments, but nothing worked. In the end they said she had three months left with us, but she died after about two weeks"

Nathan stopped again. He didn't trust his voice to continue. He hadn't cried in years, mostly because he'd never talked about it in years. But the second he started thinking about his mother, the memories came flooding back.

Haley decided not to push him this time, in stead they just walked and she just waited.

"I don't talk about it much. In fact, this is the first time I've spoken about her since she died. I've never even discussed it with my Dad. We're both the same, we don't like dealing with it through talking. So, aside from Lucas, you're the only one who knows now"

"And that changed everything?" Haley wondered.

"Yeah. I closed myself off from my friends, quit basketball and just focussed on school. My Dad was extremely worried, so he decided to move us here so we could be close to family. With my uncle Dan and Lucas living here, my Dad thought it would be good for me to have someone my own age I could share my problems with. Boy was he wrong about that!" Nathan let out a bitter laughter, but Haley didn't feel like joining in. The guilt within her grew larger and larger with every word he spoke.

What on earth was Lucas' problem? How could he be so incredibly cold and heartless? Nathan lost his mother and his life, and Lucas didn't even care. He just stepped on him and trashed him even further. Haley felt anger inside. She was just as bad! She was betraying Nathan by fooling him. She was secretly deceiving him in the worst possible way.. She felt the tears coming.. and they were coming fast..

"I never really understood why Lucas didn't like me. We used to be friends before I moved here. I guess he became protective over his life and didn't want me stealing the spotlight. So he made sure I didn't, and here we are"

When he finished his story, he took the time to look down at Haley who was now crying silent tears. He stopped and turned his body towards her. He could feel the protectiveness inside him awaken as he took in the image of the crying girl in front of him.

"Don't cry, Hales" He said as she let out a loud sob and buried her face in her hands. She felt so stupid, crying in front of him. He was the one who should be crying, this hadn't happened to her!

"I'm so sorry, Nathan! You must think I'm such a crybaby!" Haley whispered as she wiped her tears and looked up into his eyes. He shook his head and gave her a weak smile. Haley felt more tears coming as she decided to be a little bold. In a swift motion, she reached out her hands and pressed her body against his. He felt her arms circle around his waist as she clung to him. It was the first hug he had received from anyone in Tree Hill.. Ever..

He didn't know how long it lasted, but he knew he liked it. The feeling of Haley in his arms was something he could get used to.

Haley didn't want to let go. She was extremely embarrassed that she had been so bold with him, but she didn't regret it. And he didn't pull away, so that was a good sign! The butterflies were flying around like wild animals inside of her, and she couldn't control them. Being so close to Nathan felt great!

After a long time, Haley finally let go and stared up into his eyes once more.

"I can't believe you had to go through that, but I'm happy you told me. I wish I's have known sooner. I would have been there for you!.."

".. No," Nathan interrupted her. "I don't want you to be my friend because you feel sorry for me, Hales. It's better this way"

"Maybe you're right. But I still regret not befriending you earlier. You're a great guy, Nathan Scott. I admire your strength" Haley said sincerely as he flashed his dimple at her.

Nathan had enough of his sappy life story, he wanted to turn the tables around.

"Well, now that you know my story, tell me yours" He suggested as he watched Haley's eyes freeze.

"What do you mean?" She pretended not to understand his question.

"Come on, Hales! The first time I saw you, I could read the emptiness in your eyes. I bet your life hasn't exactly been easy either!" He pointed out, knowing he was right.

"No.. My life has never been like yours! I'm just spoiled.." Haley argued.

"Haley," Nathan started in a serious tone. "I can read you better than you know. You get good at that when you have to study people from afar. I know you're dealing with a lot of stuff, and I want to be there for you lie you've been for me. Besides, you made me skip school so I have nowhere else to be!"

"I doubt you'd be incredibly entertained" Haley stalled. Sharing her feelings with him was never the plan, but how could she not open up to him when he was so honest and open with her? It was weird how she felt so connected to him.

"Well, tell me anyway. I want to know everything about you, Haley James!"

Haley closed her eyes and breathed deeply before opening them again. It was all or nothing now..

"Okay, I guess you're right on some levels. Really, my life is more than many people would dream about. Fancy house, expensive clothes and cars, rich parents, hundreds of friends.. What more could I want?"

"Happiness?" Nathan suggested.

"So you don't think I'm happy?"

"A fancy house doesn't make a home, Hales. And expensive cars and clothes doesn't make them comfortable. Rich parents doesn't necessarily create love, and those friends you've got don't exactly represent trust, honesty and respect. As far as I can see, they're all fake and you deserve so much better"

"You realised you just trashed my life right?" Haley laughed.

"Maybe so, but you get my point" Nathan chuckled along with her.

"I guess you're right.. I'm not happy.. I haven't been for years! Everything has just always been the way it is, and I have to accept that. I have this life and I'm lucky to have everything I have. I feel selfish for wanting more"

"It's not selfish to search for something more, Hales" Nathan assured her.

"I know, in some way I've always known. I've just never been able to talk to anyone about it. Until now" She smiled at him, her eyes warmer now and with honesty shining through them.

"I used to be happy.." She started, and Nathan let her continue without interruptions. "Before my parents got divorced. My Dad left us without as much as a goodbye and I've never seen him since. It's been 10 years now, and the only thing he sends is money. I would gladly erase it all just to have him back. I would give anything just to have him here, tucking me in at night and telling me he loves me. I don't blame him though, my Mum is a bitch. I can understand why he wouldn't want to stay married to her!"

Haley stopped when she realised what she was saying. "Oh my God! Can't believe I'm being so inconsiderate. You lost your Mum, and I'm here trash talking mine and wishing she would go away. I'm such a horrible person!"

"Hey, hey, hey.. You're not a horrible person. You're a great girl, Haley James" Nathan joked, bringing back her words from earlier as her brought her in for another hug. It felt good to have her back in his arms, it was like she belonged there.

Haley didn't know why she had opened herself up so completely to him. She hadn't even told Brooke about her feeling towards her parents. Or how she really hated the popularity and the money she had. Only Nathan knew this about her.

"Let's talk about something else, something that doesn't involve me crying!" Haley laughed as she pulled away from him once more.

"I don't mind you crying, Hales. You're cute when you're emotional!" Nathan flirted, but felt extremely embarrassed when he realized what he had said. "Oh, God, I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to.."

"..It's okay, Nathan!" Haley laughed. "You're pretty cute yourself"

"So, why did you quit basketball?" Haley asked once they'd walked to the end of the docks. She had formed another idea in her head, hoping he would follow her along on that one as well.

"I don't know. I just lost my spark when my Mum died, you know.. It just wasn't the same without my number one fan there to cheer me on"

"Well, I'm considered the number one cheerleader at school. Would I do the trick?" Haley smiled sweetly.

"I don't think so.. Besides, we don't have a basketball hoop or a basketball here"

"Don't be so sure about that!" Haley said as she dragged him in a different direction. They walked for a few minutes before they arrived at an old, worn out basketball court near the water. Nathan stood silently and watched as Haley walked over to a couple of bushes and retrieved a basketball beneath the branches.

"Come on, Superstar. Show me what you've got!" Haley motioned for him to come closer.

"I don't know, Hales.. I haven't even tried to shoot in over four years. I'll just make a fool of myself!" He objected, but Haley was stubborn. She put the ball in his hands, letting him feel it against his palms. It seemed smaller then before, because his hands had grown in size compared to the ball.

"You'll never know unless you try, Nate.. Besides, you can't get much worse than me!" Haley laughed as she gave him a confident wink. He turned his eyes towards the old hoop and brought the ball into position. Haley watched him concentrate and jump as the ball left his hands..

His first shot in four years.. nothing but net..

"Wow! You say you haven't done that in four years, I don't believe you!" Haley objected as she watched him try again, still nothing but net..

"It feels weird.. But in my defence, I was a great player before! That's probably why it feels so natural" Nathan explained as he tried again. He wondered how he would have been if he hadn't quit. Maybe he would be better than Lucas? Maybe he would have a chance to be on the Ravens? It was too late now, basketball season started in a few weeks, but it was nice to dream.

"Well, you look pretty damn good to me!" Haley let out, realizing the outburst could be interpreted in different ways. Luckily, Nathan didn't seem to pick up on it, and she was glad.

"Show me your jump-shot!" Nathan demanded as he handed the ball over to her.

"What? No way! I suck, Nathan. I'll just embarrass myself in front of you!" Haley quickly declined.

"Hales, you've already cried twice in front of me in the last hour, and you're worried a stupid jump-shot is gonna be embarrassing?" He teased her as she gave him a sour look.

"Fine!" Haley huffed as she tried her best to his the hoop, of course missing it my miles of air. She could hear Nathan chuckle as the ball his the ground in front of them, it didn't even make it close to the rim.

"I told you I suck, there is no need to laugh!"

"You don't suck, Hales! You just need to work on your position a little" Nathan smiled as he brought the ball back to her. Before Haley knew what was going on, he had positioned himself behind her and spoke calmly into her ear.

"Just square your shoulder to the basket, and bring the ball right up past your nose like I did earlier" His breath felt hot against her ear, and it caused the butterflies to return. But Haley tried to block it out and did like he said, which led him to continue.

"All right, now bend your knees a little. And relax your hips" Nathan said as he placed his hands on her hips, pressing them lower with a slight force. He felt nervous, touching her that way, but he hoped she didn't mind. It felt good being so close to her. He liked it.

"Just shoot"

Haley felt her heart hammer as she gave her body a little boost and let the ball travel from her hands, towards the basket. It didn't make in all the way, but even Haley was impressed over how close it came. The ball bounced back from hitting the rim and right into Nathan's hands.

"That wasn't all that bad. A few more tries and you'll nail it!" He smiled as he turned his body towards her and stopped, feeling the insecurities return. Haley saw him hesitate and decided to be bold once more.

"Thanks, Nate. I told you you'd be a great teacher. Doesn't matter which subject you teach!" Haley saw Nathan's cheek become slightly redder, and decided to continue.

"And thanks, also, for spending time with me today. And for being so open with me. I'm so glad we're friends. It means a lot to me.. You mean a lot to me" Haley bit her lip as she saw the words sink in with Nathan. The walls he had built up around his heart were slowly tearing down. He couldn't help himself around her. There was just something about her that made him feel alive and wanted, a feeling he hadn't experienced in years.

"You mean a lot to me too, Hales" He replied as he once more brought her in for a hug, closing his eyes as he breathed in her scent. It felt so right, everything about her felt so right. But it scared him as well, because with all the rights.. there had to be a wrong..


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm finally back, guys! It's been a great year in Minnesota, and I enjoyed it so much. But I'm glad to be back here, and happy that I was able to post a chapter for you guys. I hope you still follow this story. I'm excited to see how it's going to turn out! I'll probably update one of my other stories soon as well, so check it out :)**

**-NaleyAlways4Ever**

**

* * *

October 23****rd**

The many pictures that decorated his walls had captivated Haley from the second she walked in. Nathan's room was just like any other guy's room. Except for the pictures.

He had the classic posters, the once they all had. And a jersey from some basketball team he seemed to support. He also had more trophies than Haley could count, and they were all lined up in a glass cabinet. His closet was closed, but had different stickers from different labels decorating it. His desk was covered in books, and the stereo that hung upon the wall seemed to fit in perfectly.

It was a very nice room, very Nathan. It was tidy, and seemed clean. It even smelled like him. Haley could see his cologne over on his night stand. She had noticed his smell early on, because he smelled so incredibly good.

Finally, there were the pictures. And Nathan had many of them..

He had a whole card board decorated with different photos of him, his family and some others she guessed used to be his friends. There were pictures of him from all ages. Him in diapers, him holding the tiniest basketball, him with his mother.. Everything you could want to know about Nathan's childhood was represented with a picture. Haley couldn't help but smile, he looked so cute.

There were other photos as well. She actually found a family photo with Lucas on his desk. But they were standing far apart, and Lucas looked like the angriest kid on the planet. Around them were Lucas' parents, their grandparents, the woman she recognized as Nathan's mother and last but not least; the man that had to be his father.

Haley hadn't met him yet, he was still at work according to Nathan. But he had kind eyes, the same ones Nathan had. He looked like a great father, smiling like there was nothing wrong in the world. Like him family, the ones surrounding him, meant everything to him. Like he was happy..

"I don't even know why I keep this up" Nathan cut into her world as she put the photograph down and went over to sit next to him on his bed.

"It's a part of you, it's your life.. Your Mum.." She saw him nod, so apparently he agreed with her.

"You were such a cute baby!" Haley grinned as she pointed to one of the photos on the wall. Nathan looked about two years old, his raven black hear spreading everywhere. He had ice cream all over his face, still holding the remains in his tiny hand. His smile was missing some teeth, creating the cutest expression she had seen in a long time.

"Weren't we all?" He sighed as his body fell backwards, spreading out over his king size bed. Haley noticed the bed spread, it was dark blue and had a basketball sewed into the middle. Nathan followed her look and started to explain.

"My grandmother made one for me and one for Lucas for Christmas a few years ago. He threw his away the second she left, but I didn't have the heart.. It must have taken so long to make, so I kept it. Even though it looks a bit childish.."

"It's perfect.. And the story behind just shows how much better you are than him!"

"Yeah.." Nathan sighed again as he placed himself further up in the bed, resting his back against the pillows. He watched Haley for a second before he patted the spot next to him, signalizing for her to sit next to him. She smiled slightly before placing her tiny body against his, wrapping her arm over his muscular chest as she rested her head on his chest.

Nathan suddenly felt nervous, having her so close. But it felt good, so he relaxed his body and let him right arm wrap around her body. The left hand, he placed over the one she had draped across him. And before he knew it, he had started stroking her softly. Her skin felt so soft underneath his touch.

Haley smiled as she got used to the chills he sent through her. This was perfect, she could lay there with him forever. It was almost too comfortable to accept. Nathan was quickly starting to captivate her completely. Like everything about him seemed to fill her with happiness. He was like a missing piece in a puzzle, one she finally felt she was solving.

"You smell so good" Haley mumbled as she breathed in his cologne, praising him inside for having such good taste in perfume. Nathan chuckled as she spoke, sensing the familiar smell of her flowery shampoo. Haley smelled like a flower field in summer time. It was such a relaxing smell..

"I'm glad you think so"

"Mmm, I do" She repeated as he felt her tighten her grip on him. Nathan felt his eyes getting heavy as they continued to lay in each other's arms. He was about to fall asleep when the door opened..

"Hey, Nate! What do you want for di.." His father stopped completely when he saw his son in a questionable embrace with a girl he had never seen before. The shock from seeing someone at all in Nathan's room, besides himself and Nathan, was almost too much to bear. There hadn't ever been anyone in there..

"Dad.. Breathe" Nathan suddenly said as Keith snapped out of his gaze. The girl was now sitting up, as was Nathan. She looked down, but he saw the guilty and embarrassed look she was wearing. Nathan seemed embarrassed as well, while Keith just felt like laughing.

"Yes! Breathe! I will remember that!" He snickered as Nathan rolled his eyes. "But, anyway, as I was saying.. What do you want for dinner? Perhaps you should ask your guest, you don't want to be rude!"

"Dad!" Nathan screamed in embarrassment as Keith chuckled in response. Haley had yet to make any form of sound, but Keith saw the little smile that covered her face.

"I'm serious? You like pizza?" Haley could sense that he was speaking to her, so she finally rose her head to take a look at him.

He didn't look like Nathan at all.. In fact, Lucas' father. Dan, had a much larger resemblance to Nathan than Lucas or Keith did. But he had the same warm look in his eyes that Nathan possessed. Besides, he was funny.. Haley could already hear where Nathan got his special sense of humour from.

"Hales.." Nathan poked her arm, forcing her to find the right words to answer..

"Ehm, yeah, I like pizza.." Keith could sense her nervousness, poor girl..

"All right, pizza it is!" He sent Nathan a knowing wink. When Nathan first had a girl over, he couldn't help but tease him a little. Keith had always wanted to do that, it was one of the funniest sides of being a father. But this was the first chance he had ever gotten!

"Oh my Gosh, that was embarrassing!" Haley exclaimed as soon as Keith closed the door. Nathan only chuckled in response, earning him a glare from the blonde next to him.

"You think it's funny? First time meeting you Dad, and we're in that position and I'm incapable of answering the easiest question possible!"

"Relax, Hales. He was just having some fun with you, this is the first time he's ever had the chance to play around with my girlfriends.."

Haley's eyes shot up to meet Nathan's. She could immediately see that he was aware of what he had said, and how it had sounded. It felt good, hearing him define their relationship that way. But it also made her nervous. She knew they had been flirting a lot, and now she had even met his Dad. But were they in a romantic relationship?

"Ehh.. I mean.. Friends that are girls.." Nathan corrected himself, oblivious to the disappointment that appeared in Haley's eyes. An awkward silence filled the air as they both seemed to look everywhere but at each other.

"I forgot to ask what you wanted on it?"

Both eyes snapped up as Keith entered the room once more. His silhouette filled the door opening as a confused look appeared in each of the teens' faces.

"On the pizza.." He elaborated.

"I don't know.. Doesn't really matter" Nathan stumbled, he was still a little shaken after their previous conversation. He hadn't meant to call Haley his girlfriend, but that still didn't keep him from liking the sound.

"Oh, all right. So, turkey?" Keith asked as Haley broke out in laughter. "No? What about tuna?"

"It's not funny, Dad.." Nathan looked less than impressed with his father's humour.

"I'm just kidding, pepperoni okay?"

"Yeah.. Fine" Nathan sighed embarrassed as he searched for Haley to meet his eyes.

"I'll call for you when it arrives!" Keith smiled as he left the room for the second time. After he had walked out, Haley finally felt brave enough to meet Nathan's again.

"Let's get this chemistry thing over with" He sighed as he retrieved both their books and sat down, explaining the topic to Haley as good as he could.

* * *

"So, Haley, how did you two meet?"

Haley chewed slowly as the three sat around the little kitchen table in the Scott's kitchen. Keith was exactly as great of a guy as she first had thought. He seemed genuinely interested in getting to know her. He was asking her questions about anything and everything, and she tried her best to answer them.

"We're lab partners in chemistry, and since I'm such a dumb-dumb, Nathan offered to tutor me" Haley smiled as she gave Nathan a look that caught Keith's attention. He could see that this girl meant something more to his son, that there was something between them. But in stead of being worried, he felt his heart warm with joy at the thought of his son with someone as frisky and sweet as Haley seemed to be.

"Well, we all known where Nathan has those smart genes!"

"Yeah, from Mum!" Nathan cut in as Keith laughed along with his son. Haley wasn't sure how she should react. She didn't even know what to say to Nathan when they talked about his mother, let alone what to say when his father was around.

"Did you grow up here?" Keith continued to ask.

"Yes, born and raised. My father left us when I was seven, so I've lived alone with my mother for the last ten years" Haley explained, automatically noticing the sympathy in Keith's eyes. She smiled bravely at the two men around her, showing that it was all right bring it up.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that" Keith shot in.

"That's okay. You guys have been through worse, I don't have any right to complain" Haley smiled again as she met Keith's eyes. His respect for her grew with every word she spoke, and she struck him as a reflected girl. Perfect for his son, down to earth and strong.

"Well, we managed to make a good life here, didn't we Nate?" Keith commented as he poked Nathan's shoulder.

"Yeah!" Nathan agreed as he sent a grateful look Haley's way. Suddenly it was like her stomach was on fire again, those stupid butterflies would never settle down around him.

"So, you haven't spent that much time with Lucas lately, Nate! You guys growing apart?" Keith brought up as Haley's eyes shot confused over at Nathan. She could read the guilt in his eyes as he cleared his throat.

"I don't know. He's pretty busy with basketball, Dad" Nathan lied. He knew he had some explaining to do to Haley. She didn't know the lies he told his father. She didn't know anything about how their family thought Nathan and Lucas were such good friends and close cousins. But now, he could see that she expected explanations.

"Why don't you bring him over soon, you guys always hang out over at his house!" Keith suggested.

"There's just a lot more to do over there, Dad. I'll ask him when I see him" Nathan tried to brush the subject away. He hated talking about Lucas, because that involved lying to his father. But he couldn't share the truth. It would crush their family if they knew how things really were between them.

"All right, just as long as he knows he's always welcome here!"

"He knows" Nathan mumbled, closing the subject off.

"Oh, look at the time. I have to reach the supermarket before it closes, we need milk and some other things. I'll be back in an hour!" Keith smiled warmly as he stood up, removed his dishes and walked towards the front door.

"It was nice meeting you, Haley! I look forward to seeing more of you. Nathan's been on a dry spell for too long!"

"DAD!" Nathan objected, feeling the limit had been reached, maybe even crossed.

"Nice meeting you too, Mr. Scott" Haley chuckled, watching Nathan bury his face in his hands. She found it adorable that he was so untouched. So fresh and clean. No dirty secrets in his closet. It felt refreshing to know that she was the first girl he'd even been remotely close to. Unlike her, he was still pure. Haley had enough skeletons for the both of them.

"Please, call me Keith. Mr. Scott is my father, he's old. I'm not even forty-five yet!"

"You're forty-five in three weeks!" Nathan objected.

"Still doesn't make me forty-five, now does it!" Keith responded before walking out with a smirk plastered on his face. Nathan groaned in frustration as soon as the door closed, his father was just too much sometimes.

"Your Dad is so great!" Haley stated in awe.

"He's embarrassing! He thinks he's funny, when in reality; he's just making a fool of himself!" Nathan pointed out.

"Well, one could say that about you too!" Haley chuckled. Nathan sighed and Haley could see his face growing serious, she knew what was coming.

"I don't want to disappoint him, that's why I haven't told him about my relationship with Lucas"

It didn't surprise Haley much, but it still didn't satisfy her. So what if Lucas was a jerk, it wasn't Nathan's fault they couldn't cooperate. Why should he suffer and lie to his father when Lucas was to blame.

"Why don't you just tell him the truth, he'd understand! I know he'd support you and back you up. He seems like the best father on the planet!"

"He is. But you see, if he knew how Lucas treated me; he'd stand up for me and attack Lucas. My Dad might seem like a peaceful, laid back and controlled guy, but I'm his number one priority. And my uncle Dan is the same way with Lucas. I don't want to cause rivalry between our families because Lucas has a problem with me. I don't need Lucas to be happy, but my Dad needs his brother. I'm not that selfish!"

"So you just decided to lie?" Haley wondered, trying to make sense of the situation.

"It was Lucas' idea, really. He came to me quite early and explained that we should keep it between us. He'd tell his parents we hung out at my place or somewhere else, and I'd do the same thing. No questions asked. Till this day, both our families still believe we're great friends. And we'd like to keep it that way!"

"But why? I get you don't want the family to split up, but it's got to be hard for you. Lying to your father this way.." Haley hinted.

"Yeah, it is. He's my best friend, I used to tell him everything. I think he suspected that I didn't have anyone else, but he never asked because he knew I didn't want to talk about it" Nathan looked down at his hands, ashamed of his actions.

"Why are you speaking in past tense?"

"I have you now.. You're my best friend, Hales. And I think my Dad can tell that I finally have someone else to share stuff with" His confession stung Haley deep inside. She felt the exact same way, but once again, the stupid bet entered her mind. If it would only disappear and go away forever.

"You're my best friend as well, Nathan" She assured him.

"Good"

"But what do you do when the whole family is together? You just pretend?" Haley asked him. It amazed her just how big of a jerk Lucas really was. Every time she learnt something new about his relationship with Nathan, she hated him even more. It was his fault that Nathan had been so miserable before she entered his life..

But she was only there to make it worse..

"Yeah.. We speak to each other as little as possible, but we keep the façade up. No one suspects anything, thank God"

"I'm so sorry, Nathan.. I can't imagine how this must be for you!" Haley brought her hand up to cover his as she intertwined their fingers. Their eyes connected again, and the look that passed between them was one of understanding, acceptance and maybe..

.. love?

**

* * *

Alright, that's what you get for now. Hope you liked it. I'll post again sometime soon. Luckily, I have two more chapters typed up, so I have some time to start writing again. **

**Please review and tell me what you're thinking!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Not that many people reviewed, like I hoped. But I understand that a lot of people don't really do it that much. I know I suck at it myself! So I won't complain, just say thank you for reading, and hope you like the next chapter :)**

**

* * *

**

**October 28****th**

"What are you doing for Halloween, Hales?" Brooke asked as they sat in the car together. Even though Haley never hung out with them anymore, she still drove Brooke to school. Her favourite part of the day, without doubt.. _Yeah, right_.. Keeping the façade up was easy after so long. As far as Brooke knew, nothing was wrong between them.

It still amazed Haley how clueless and dumb it was possible to be..

After her first little disagreement with Lucas, Haley had stayed away from them. Brooke stood by her boyfriend, and Haley kept herself to Nathan. It worked fine for Haley. She didn't even feel the void in her life that Brooke used to occupy. Nathan had consumed her and completed any possible hole inside. He was the best friend she could have asked for, and the butterflies would never seem to go away.

Haley wasn't blind, she knew very well what was about to happen. She wasn't just making Nathan fall for her.. She was falling just as fast for him as well. It scared the crap out of her, but she was powerless to stop it. She didn't even know if she wanted to, the feeling was too good.

Falling for Nathan was NOT, repeating NOT, something Haley had estimated. It seemed so unreal at the time. Sure, he was good looking and all, definitely doable, but not love-material. Love didn't exist, remember?

Not any more.. Love definitely existed now, it was there. She could feel it creeping up behind her..It hurt to think that it would probably be crushed when New Years came around, but Haley was selfish. She couldn't let it go.. Nathan meant too much to her now. She was already in way over her head!

"Haley, are you even paying attention to me?" Brooke's annoyed voice brought her thoughts away from her Prince Charming, and back to the nightmare of a car ride she was experiencing at the moment.

"Of course I am, Brooke.. I just zoned out for a second" Haley flashed her pearly white teeth in the fakest smile she could manage.

"Okay" Brooke smiled back, still as clueless as ever. It made Haley want to roll her eyes in frustration.

"I wast asking you what you were doing for Halloween. You know Lucas is having his annual costume party at his mother's club down town. I was thinking we should wear matching costumes this year, like last year. Lucas is going to be Hugh Hefner, so we could be playboy bunnies?"

Haley felt disgusted. There was no way, repeating again NO FREAKIN WAY!, she was going to Lucas' stupid party dressed as Hugh Hefner's latest conquest. Or in this case, Lucas Scott's sex-toy. No thank you..

"I don't think I'm going, Brooke. But you have fun with that" Haley brushed off, wishing the current red light would just turn green already!

"What? You can't be serious? We always go together!" Brooke objected.

"I'm sorry, Brooke. I already have plans!"

"What could possible be more important than Lucas' Halloween party?" Just hearing the question once again made Haley want to gag. What was wrong with these people? Was getting drunk and having sex all the cared about?

Wait a minute, this was Haley only a month ago.. That thought was even more disgusting than the previous ones..

Haley used to be that girl, pre Nathan.. She was the slut who slept with anything on legs, drunk herself into a stupor each and every time she had the chance. Anything to block out the pain. Anything to feel nothing.

Pre Nathan..

Now, she felt everything. She felt wanted, desired, appreciated.. Nathan made her happy. He put a smile on her face. He consumed her thoughts most of the time. He supported her and comforted her. Most of all, he trusted her. He blocked out the pain. He made her feel.. everything!

"I have plans with Nathan" Haley mentioned, hoping Brooke would shut up and leave it alone.

"You're ditching me for that loser?" No such luck..

"You know why, Brooke. I need to change if I want a shot with him. He doesn't like girls like us, I need to be good for a while" Haley lied. It made her feel sick, because it was all a big fat lie. Haley had no need to party or have sex anymore. Just being in Nathan's arms satisfied all the needs she had. Her mind kept wondering back to their encounter in Nathan's bed last week. Cuddling was never Haley's thing, until now.. It felt so good, just laying there with him.

"Wow, you are mean.. You're pure evil.. I love it!" Brooke laughed as Haley parked the car in her usual spot.

"Yeah, I'm pure evil" Haley whispered to herself.. _And I hate it_

* * *

Haley spotted Nathan in their usual spot, and quickly walked towards him. He looked concentrated, completely buried in his chemistry book. Haley loved the look he had on his face when he was serious..

Just like she loved almost every look he had..

"Hey handsome" She smiled as she dropped down next to him, clearly surprising him with her presence.

"Hey.." He let out with an awkward voice before he got himself together and smiled. ".. beautiful"

Haley felt her cheeks getting redder by the moment. His response had definitely taken her by surprise. He had never called her that before, but it felt so good hearing those words come from him. Usually, Haley would hear guys saying; you're so hot, a great lay, you have a nice ass, your boobs are huge.. It felt good hearing something as simple as; you're beautiful.

"Hi" She chuckled, kissing his cheek in a quick motion. He smirked at her before he twisted his head back down in his book.

"So.." Haley started, getting his attention once more. "You want to do something fun for Halloween?"

"Please don't ask me to go trick or treating with you!" Nathan begged as Haley hit him, showing him her most offended expression.

"For you information, trick or treating is brilliant! But no.. That wasn't my suggestion"

"Then what is your suggestion?"

"Well, I got an invitation to Lucas' Halloween party.."

".. Forget it!" Nathan cut in with a stern voice, his eyes matching his expression.

"I know, that's what I thought. So instead, I was thinking maybe you could come over, and I could make some popcorn, and we could have a movie-thon.. maybe? If you want to?"

Haley had been on several dates before.. But she was never used to asking herself, although she wasn't even sure if Nathan would consider it a date. It was just a couple of movies and some popcorn after all..

"Are you asking me on a date, Haley James?" Nathan mocked her as he chuckled slowly.

"What if I am?"

"Then I'd definitely say yes" Nathan smiled, receiving an equal one from Haley.

"Besides, it's either suffering through a night of horror movies with you, or handing out candy to little kids with my Dad, while wearing the most ridiculous masks you can ever imagine! He forces me to wear one every year, it's humiliating.."

"I'd pay to see that!" Haley laughed.

"Too bad, you never will!"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm not the biggest fan of horror movies. So, please, nothing too scary! I'll leave the movies to you, but I trust you!" Haley pointed out with a serious expression, pointing her finger at him.

"I won't disappoint you! Scout's honour!" Nathan flashed his addicting smile just as the bell rung, signalizing that the nest period was about to start. The chemistry between them was so much more interesting than the one they learnt about in class, but Haley could wait to explore it further.

Nathan wouldn't disappoint her, it was probably the other way around..

**

* * *

October 31st**

"You got the movies?"

"Yep, you got the popcorn?"

"Oh, darn, I haven't popped it yet!"

"Haley ! The popcorn was the only reason I came!"

"Hey!"

Nathan laughed as he followed her into the kitchen of her house. Haley's house was huge. It had security guards at the entrance-gate, that was enough to scare him off! He wondered how rich she really was..

The interior of her house didn't disappoint. Everything matched. Couches, wallpaper, carpets.. Everything was the same colour, or fabric or whatever. If Haley's mother had done this herself, it would have taken her years. Which probably meant that it had been done by professionals. They looked like they had money enough to hire people.

"Nice house" Nathan commented as he watched Haley press several buttons on the most confusing microwave he had ever seen. Of course, it matched the rest of the furniture in the kitchen.

"Ehh, it's all right" Haley shrugged.

"All right? It's a freaking mansion!" Haley looked up at his with sad eyes, and he could see the struggle she was fighting with herself. After a few seconds she finally opened her mouth to reply.

"The house is great, but it's not a home.. There is a big difference"

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that" Nathan agreed with her as the microwave signalized that it was finished. Haley retrieved a bowl and poured the popcorn into it.

"What do you want to drink?" Haley asked him as she walked over to a fridge that would put every other fridge featured on "_Cribs_" to shame.

"Wow.. What do you not have?" Nathan asked, earning a small chuckle from Haley.

"We have beer, smirnoff, cider, champagne.."

".. So it's safe to say you don't have regular coke than?" Nathan cut in. Haley met his eyes with an ashamed look, realizing that she had offered him alcohol. Nathan didn't drink, she knew that. How stupid was she, really?

"I think we might have some diet coke in here somewhere.. I'm really sorry, I should have bought something.. I know you don't drink.. Oh, God.." Haley cursed herself as Nathan wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"No, no, no.. It's Halloween, I might as well live on the dark side for a night!" Nathan spoke with his head against hers. He was so tall that he could easily balance his head on top of hers, but it felt better to lean it against hers.

"No, Nathan.. I don't want you to do that just because I'm stupid.."

".. You're not stupid!" Nathan objected. "I'll have a beer, how bad can it be?"

"All right, if you insist.." Haley sighed as she grabbed a beer for him and some cider for herself. Might as well keep it light, getting smashed in front of Nathan was definitely not an option!

"So, what movies did you bring?" Haley asked as they reached the movie-theatre.

"I'm confused why even made me bring DVDs when you clearly have them all!" Nathan commented as he took in the sight of the tall shelves, filled with more movies than the local rental store probably owned.

"Because I wanted you to pick something you liked, not something I like" Haley pointed out as she reached out for the choices he had selected.

"Urgh.. Orphan? Seriously, Nathan?" Haley sent him her most disapproving look as she went to put the DVD in the DVD-player.

"What? I had to pick something you'd definitely want to hide your face from.. Especially when I'm your pillow for the night!" Nathan smirked as Haley hit him with the pillow already laying on the couch. She picked up the remote and got comfortable beside Nathan on the couch. His hand was draped over her shoulders, offering the crook of his arm to her.

As the movie started, Haley found herself leaning closer and closer to his body, covering her face in his shirt whenever something gory or scary crossed the screen. Nathan's arm came down to wrap around her, bringing her closer to his body, and he could smell her intoxicating scent.

As the movie reached the end, Haley sat frozen against his body. Her face was, once again, covered by his shirt, and she refused to look up.

"Hales, you're scared of the credits as well?" Nathan laughed as she hit playfully his chest.

"No" She mumbled against his body, sending vibrations through him.

"It's over, I promise.. It wasn't that scary, was it?"

Haley slowly lifted her head from his chest, sending him the angriest look she could master without smiling at the same time.

"I am never.. ever.. adopting!"

"Hales, it's just a movie" Nathan said as he brought his other hand up to caress her cheek, nibbling teasingly at her pouting lips with his finger.

"That's easy for you to say! You're so brave and strong, I'm weak and frightened!"

"I happen to like that you feel that way.. It's for my benefit" Nathan mumbled. He didn't understand where this sudden confidence came from, but it felt good. He liked being self-secure around girls, especially fantastic, gorgeous and marvellous girls like Haley James.

"I'm glad I can be an amusement to you, even when I feel like peeing my pants!"

"You're always an amusement to me, Hales" Nathan snickered, earning another playful punch from Haley.

There was something about the look in his eyes that suddenly had Haley's head move closer to his. He looked so handsome in that moment, she couldn't help it. Ever since she first started getting to know Nathan, she had wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

Her head continued to move closer, as did his. He wanted the same things she wanted, that much she was certain of. But she was still nervous. Nathan didn't have any experience with girls, she didn't even know if he ever kissed another girl. But even if he was nervous, it didn't show. He looked determined, like there was nothing else he wanted to do.

Suddenly, they had gotten so close that Haley could feel his breath on her skin. She took one last look into his eyes before she closed her own and prepared herself for what was to come. Their noses were touching, only one more small movement kept them apart. Haley hesitated, the nerves taking over her system. What in the world was he doing to her? She was never this insecure around guys?

Almost there, almost his lips against hers. Almost..

.. No .. just like in the movies..

Nathan jumped as Haley's phone went off. Her eyes quickly opened to find him looking everywhere but at her, embarrassment evident on his features. She cursed her phone and the person calling her about five hundred times before picking it up in an irritated movement.

"What?"

"Haley?"

Of course it had to be her.. Brooke was not only stupid, she had the worst timing on the planet..

"Brooke?"

"Yezzz, who else would it be, dummy?" Brooke's voice was clearly affected by the consumption she had of alcohol. Great..

She was this close to finally sharing her first kiss with Nathan, and a drunk Brooke interrupts..

Freaking fantastic!

"What do you want, Brooke?" Haley bit out, sounding just as angry as she was.

"Chill out.. who killed your Mum?" Brooke mumbled..

"Can you please get to the point of this conversation, Brooke? I don't have all night?"

"All right.. I need you to come a get me!" Broke slurred out.

"What? Why?"

"Because I can't find Lucas anywhere! And I'm drunk.. And someone spilled beer all over my home made playboy bunny outfit!" Haley rolled her eyes, if she had ever been annoyed with Brooke before; nothing could compare to what she was feeling right now..

"I'm busy, Brooke!" Haley argued, getting Nathan's attention.

"Pleeeease, Hales.. I need you!" Brooke pouted, and Nathan could see Haley struggle with her answer.

"It's okay, we're pretty much done here anyway" He assured her with a small smile as he picked up their dirty dishes and started carrying them towards Haley's kitchen. Haley sat stunned behind in the couch and watched his retracting figure. He was truly amazing..

"All right, I'll be there in 10 minutes. Meet me outside, I'm not about to go inside looking for you!" Haley bitched as she hung up the phone and ran after Nathan. She found him by her front door, putting his sneakers back on.

"I'm so sorry, Nathan.. This did not go as planned at all.."

".. I told you, I don't mind. I had a great night with you, Hales!" Nathan reassured her.

"But .. Arrrgh.. She just had to ruin it!"

"Hales.. You being a good friend doesn't ruin anything. If anything, it makes me like you even better" He smirked as he traced his finger down her cheek.

"You like me?" Haley smiled.

"Of course I do, what's not to like?" Nathan shrugged. "You're the most wonderful person I've ever met, Haley James."

"You definitely have those charm-Scott-genes in order!" Haley laughed as Nathan brought her in for a hug. She breathed in his scent for the last time that night, dreaming of how good he would feel when she finally got to kiss him. And it would be soon, she could feel it..

"I'll see you soon, good night" Nathan said as he bent down and kissed her cheek before he turned and walked out her front door. Haley stood in the door, watching him walk away. She couldn't wipe the smile of her face, it had been glued on.

"Hey Nathan!" Haley called out to him, making him turn around in anticipation for what was to come.

"I'm crazy about you, too"

And she was.. crazy.. absolutely crazy about Nathan Scott..

**

* * *

What do you think? Just saying, the Orphan freaked me out too. Messed up movie, that's for sure.. And I usually don't get scared at all.. Please leave a review :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**So, just like with my other stories I've discovered chapters written that I never posted.. and because I love this story so much I've even started writing the next chapter! After two years without writing anything, I've started up again.. Geesh, I thought I was too old for this by now, but I guess not :) I still love OTH and Naley as much as I did when I started this so I might as well try to finish! Enjoy **

* * *

**November 23rd – Thanksgiving at the Scott mansion**

"So, Nathan, how's school going for you lately?" His grandmother was going at it again. Nathan wondered if she would never get tired of asking the same questions, over and over. If it wasn't about school, it would be basketball or whatever other activities she might think he was involved in. And then where was the worst question, the one that always made him uncomfortable in front of Lucas.

Is there anyone special in your life?

Lucas would always give him a challenging smile when that question came. Like he was daring Nathan to tell them the truth. Like he wanted their family to think Nathan was just as pathetic as Lucas found him to be. But this year, things were different. For the first time in Nathan's life, he actually had someone special..

He had Haley..

Just thinking about Haley brought a smile to his face. Since their "date" last Friday, things had been a bit awkward between them, but not weird awkward. More like comfortable awkward. Nathan was still a little freaked out by the fact that they had admitted their feelings, but he knew he just had to give it time.

Oh, how he wanted to be with Haley now, instead of his stupid family. But Haley had told him how excited she was about spending Thanksgiving with her mother. It seemed like Mrs. James managed to sober up for the holidays, because Haley described them like the happiest days of the year.

For Nathan, that was not the case. His grandmother and his aunt went out of their ways to cook the most fabulous Thanksgiving meal, while his grandfather, his uncle and his father sat back with a scotch in hand. And he was stuck with Lucas..

"School is all right" Nathan mumbled in response.

"Still gonna apply for Stanford?"

"Yes, I think so. I'm hoping for an academic scholarship so we won't have to pay that much" He finished as he received a satisfied smile from his other family members. Everyone except Lucas, of course. He wouldn't send a smile Nathan's way if his life depended on it, at least not a sincere one.

"That's my boy. Always so considerate and thoughtful" May Scott chuckled as she pinched her grandson's cheek.

"What about you, Luke? Any plans for college yet?"

The conversation continued between the grown ups and Lucas, while Nathan just went back to his thoughts. He manage to secretly pull out his phone and decided to text Haley, hoping she was enjoying the evening with her mother. She deserved a night of fun with her Mum, and he knew she desired it so badly.

Haley sat patiently in her regular seat. The message had reached her through her maid in the morning; Your mother will meet you at the regular restaurant at 8 pm. And here she was, waiting for her mother to arrive.

Lydia James had never been known as a punctual person, but this occasion was special. It was already 8.45 pm, so Lydia was now already 45 minutes late. Haley sat quietly sipping on her wine, staring into space. She could feel a hint of nervousness growing inside of her, but she refused to let it surface. Her mother could show up, Haley knew she would!

Her phone vibrated, signalizing that she had received a text. Haley slowly opened her purse and took out her phone, smiling as she saw the sender of said text.

_Nathan 3_

Haley had never before been the childish one, putting hearts behind her contacts' names. But there was something about her current situation with Nathan that tempted her too much. She had to put the heart behind his name, it belonged there. It looked good there!

Smiling, Haley opened the message and read its context. He was too sweet for words to describe. No matter what he wrote, she would always get that familiar feeling inside. Like her heart wanted to explode. The images of their soon-to-be first kiss kept floating through her mind. She had mentally prepared herself for countless different settings.

Maybe it would be in his car? With them both leaning against each other, to tempted to stay away any longer? Or maybe it would be in his room, with her laying in the same position she had been when Keith first walked in on them? Or maybe it would be at school, standing by his locker with hundreds of students walking by them, while they only had eyes for each other?

It didn't matter how it happened, it would be perfect. Haley was certain of that!

"_Hey, I'm bored. This sucks! How is you evening? Thinking about you!_"

"_She still hasn't showed, but I haven't given up yet! You still keeping up the façade? Miss you 3_"

"_Hang in there, she'll show! Yes, everything as normal here. No suspicions! Miss you too!_"

"_I know she will. In the mean time I'm having fun with my Nathan-thoughts xD_"

"_And what do they contain exactly?_"

"_Currently, you, me, a monkey and cookie dough!_"

"_You are officially nuts, Haley James 3_"

Haley smiled as she put her phone away.

"So, Nathan, is there anyone special in you life these days?"

.. and there it was, Ladies and Gentlemen. The one billion dollar question he'd been waiting for all night..

Nathan looked at his Grandma May. She was a very sweet woman. If they ever bothered to involve themselves more in his life, Nathan was sure he would be friends with his grandparents. Even his Grandpa Royal. Even though he was a pain in the ass sometimes, Nathan knew there was a soft guy somewhere deep inside him.

Before answering, Nathan took a second to consider why Grandma May always asked him that question. Maybe she believed he would eventually find a girl, even when he didn't believe it himself? Or maybe she just did it to be nice. To show him that she cared, even if it only gave Lucas more satisfaction when he always answered: No, not at the moment, Grandma.

But this time it was different. He had Haley now. Haley was special, certainly worth mentioning. He knew his father would tell them everything if he didn't himself, so no matter what he did: he was trapped.

"Actually.. There kinda is a girl in my life right now" Nathan could easily see the surprise that appeared on every face around the table, except for his Dad and Lucas, of course.

_.. Gee, thanks for the support. I always knew you had faith in my love life.._

"That's great, Nate! Who is she?" His Aunt Deb finally managed to get out after 30 seconds of awkward silence.

"Yeah, Nate, tell them all about your current flame!" There was something very disturbing about the smirk Lucas had on his face. Nathan couldn't really figure out what it was, though. Lucas was always full of crap, this wasn't a special occasion.

"Her name is Haley" Keith spoke before Nathan had the time to think through his words. Apparently, his father was just as excited about his relationship with Haley as he was. One might think Keith was the one with a girlfriend! _Eww, disturbing mental pictures.._

"Do we know her?" Dab wondered.

"Yeah, you know my friend, Haley James. Nathan is her latest conquest, Mom" Lucas snickered. Nathan's smile fell as Lucas referred to him as Haley's "conquest". It sounded like a dirty word in his head. A word not worthy of the relationship they had.

"She's a charm. Very nice girl!" Keith continued. Nathan didn't know if his smile was able to stretch any further on his face. It would probably give him wrinkles. It made Nathan smile as well, though a much more embarrassed one.

"Haley James? Isn't that the daughter of Lydia James?" Royal asked his grandson.

"Yes" Nathan mumbled, nodding his head in addition.

"Good family. Too bad with her father though. He wasn't the nicest man I've ever encountered!"

"They're fine on their own" Nathan said.

"Yeah, Haley's got Nathan now. She doesn't need any other men. He satisfies her needs completely, right Nate?" Nathan's face fell. Lucas could be such a douche. He hadn't even kissed Haley yet!

"Actually, I don't even think he's gotten any lip action!"

.. And, thank you Keith Scott. Dad of the year award, right there!

Lucas laughed again. His evil smirk was permanent on his face. Nathan knew he was up to no good. He knew something bad was about to come out, he just hoped Lucas wasn't about to trash Haley in front of his family. It wasn't like Nathan didn't know about Haley's past. She already told him how her life used to be. He believed her when she said she didn't want to be that way anymore. She changed for him, and he appreciated that greatly.

"Are you kidding? Haley James used to do everything that had legs!" Lucas laughed.

"Used to, being the key word.. Luke.." Nathan spoke his cousin's name with a stern voice. Defending Haley to Lucas was something he really wished to avoid in front of his family. But if Lucas wanted trouble, he would get it!

"Relax, Nate. I'm just looking out for you! Haley doesn't have the best reputation with guys. I remember the night she did three different guys! Boy, that was the highlight of her career!"

"Lucas!" His mother looked at him with shocked eyes. Her expression was mirrored in most faces around the table. Even his Uncle Dan looked rather uncomfortable where he sat.

"Yeah, well, you would know all about that stuff, wouldn't you, Luke?"

"Nathan, that's enough!" Keith cut in.

"Sorry, Dad" Nathan mumbled. He didn't want to cause a scene at Thanksgiving, but Lucas really tempted him sometimes. Nathan wondered why he couldn't just leave them alone. Was he jealous?

"Well, I think it's time for dessert.." May trailed off as she stood up and started clearing the table. Everyone was extremely quiet as another awkward silence filled the room, not leaving anytime soon.

* * *

Haley was still waiting.

9.32pm.

Still waiting.

Always waiting.

Third glass of wine was gone, she started to feel a little light headed.

"Waiter! Check please!" .. Enough is enough.

Haley paid for her drinks and walked slowly out of the restaurant. Her head was hanging low, disappointed in her mother. Disappointed in her life.

Where was Nathan when she needed him the most?

Haley decided to take a walk and hopefully walk off her buzz. Not that is was such a great one in the first place. Her feet led her to the docks. Haley always loved walking by the water. The water calmed her. It created a sense of inner peace, something she didn't feel to often. Not even Nathan could create that!

Whenever she was with him, she kept remembering the bet. She didn't want anything to do with it, she couldn't care less about Rachel and her stupid life. Haley found the freedom she needed in Nathan. He had become so incredibly important to her in such a short time. They had been sort of dating for two months now, but she still hadn't kissed him. They agreed to take it slow, and Haley liked that.

She liked that Nathan was so inexperienced. She liked that he was a virgin, that she was his first girlfriend. Everything was new for him, but so was it for her. She never experience this kind of affection for another human being. The respect, the caring touches, the kind words. These were all new to Haley. No other man she had ever been with could even begin to live up to Nathan. He was more of a man than Lucas would ever be.

Haley once again thought of the bet. The bet was to make Nathan fall in love with her. Was he? He seemed like he was falling pretty fast. But not as fast as she was. It scared Haley how important Nathan had become and how much he mattered to her. She felt hot tears begin to fall against her cheeks at the thought of disappointing him. How his heart would break once he found out.

And he would.

Haley knew she should tell him about the bet before they got any more serious and involved than they already were. It wasn't fear to him to keep it a secret. He deserved to know the truth before he gave his first kiss to the girl who would betray him. Even if Haley didn't want it to end, she knew Rachel would ruin it for her. Lucas' hate for Nathan was stronger than her ability to stop him from blabbing. The satisfaction Lucas would get out of this situation was simply too much for him to resist. Anything to hurt Nathan, that was his policy.

But Haley was selfish. A part of her wanted to believe that Nathan would forgive her if she only told him. If she explained how it all changed for her, how much she regretted going after him on the wrong motives. She would tell him how helpless he made her feel, like she relied on him to breathe. She would assure him that everything was different now, that she wanted him because she couldn't live without him. Because he was so important to her. Because he was her best friend and possible lover. That everything about him was perfect and she was blessed to have him in her life.

But the other part knew he wouldn't forgive her. Nathan had major trust issues. Haley was lucky he opened up to her as easily as he did. It was something about their connection that made him do it, she was sure of it. Nathan felt like he could trust her. He sensed that she truly cared about his life and his feelings. He knew she needed him just as much as he needed her. But would he forgive her for lying and betraying him for such a long period of time? Would they ever be together for real?

All these thoughts disturbed her mind as she kept walking. But luckily for Haley, she was able to replace them with thoughts about her mother and her betrayal as she reached the familiar hot dog stand they would eat from. All the memories came back, from when they were a happy family. Back then, Lydia cared about Haley. She treated her like a daughter, not like an object. The tears threatened to fall again as Haley walked away from her memories once again..

* * *

"So she hasn't even swapped spit with you yet?"

Go away, Lucas.. Those were the only words Nathan wanted to express as his cousin came onto the back porch with him. He followed him out there, probably just to make fun of his relationship with Haley. Why couldn't he just grow up?

"Not that it's any of your business, but we're taking it slow" Nathan hissed about between closed teeth.

"Taking it slow, or waiting for Jesus to return first?" Lucas laughed.

"I didn't know you believed in God, Luke. I thought the Devil was the only one you worshiped" Nathan snickered, seeing the look on Lucas' face. It was as though Lucas was telling him he said something childish, which he kind of did. But Nathan didn't care. He could care less what Lucas thought of anything in his life.

" Very funny. I'm serious though, she's usually so easy. What's taking you so long?"

"You wouldn't understand it Luke" Nathan grunted in annoyance.

"Try me" Lucas challenged him with his eyes. They seemed determined to get to him, determined to ruin something for him. Nathan would rather not give him the chance.

"I care about her, Luke. I don't want to screw anything up by pushing her. She deserves better than that"

"Wow, she's really got you hooked, hasn't she?" Lucas asked. Nathan stared off into the air, studying the flowers that decorated the garden. He didn't feel like sharing more of his personal feelings with Lucas. It felt weird.

"Be careful, Nate. Haley James is a dangerous girl, trust me"

What in the world was that about? Nathan turned to argue with him, but Lucas was already gone. The whole situation felt rather surreal. Did Lucas seriously just warn him against Haley? Haley, the sweetest girl he'd ever met. And Lucas, the biggest asshole on the planet?

Weird..

* * *

At around 10.30pm that night, Nathan heard a soft knocking on the door. He went to open it, and was met with the brown eyes he had missed so much all day long. But they didn't look normal. They were slightly red, and extremely puffy. Water was consumed in the lower lid, threatening to spill any second. Her cheeks were stained black from her mascara, and her appearance looked rather alarming.

"Haley, what happened to you?" His concern for her was so evident, Haley lost it.

She fell into his arms, sobbing like no other. Nathan tried his best to soothe her by rubbing her back tenderly, but nothing seemed to help. She was shaking in his arms, her face hidden in his chest. He wondered what happened to upset her so much.

"Can you tell me what happened, Baby?" Nathan's soft voice, together with him rocking her back and forth, helped her calm down to the level where talking was possible. She met his concerned look with her teary eyes and tried her best to give him a sad smile.

"She never showed"

Nathan's heart broke for her as she once more cried her eyes out against his shirt. Haley's mother was a mystery to him. How little care and appreciation she had for her daughter was amazing. There should be an award handed out to mothers like Haley's. How was it possible to leave you daughter, and then keep disappointing her time after time? Was there not an alarm button somewhere in her head that flashed when she thought of Haley? Did she just not care about their relationship?

"I'm so sorry, Babe. Did you try her cell?"

"Twice, every hour! I don't understand how she could just not show up? We have a ritual, it's a tradition. How do you forget a tradition?"

"I don't know, Hales. She probably didn't realise it was today. You'll see her soon, I promise" Nathan didn't know what to say that would help her. He never dealt with girls like this. He'd never before needed to comfort a girl who was so hard broken by her mother.

"Can I stay here tonight?"

The question was fairly simple. It didn't need much thought. Nathan's eyes met her's, and he nodded softly. Haley responded with a small smile, it was all she could master. Nathan lifted her exhausted body into his arms. He carried her easily up to his room where he placed her on his bed. She looked so peaceful there, like she belonged there.

"Can you hold me, please?"

Once again, it didn't take much effort to convince him. Nathan laid beside her, holding her body close to his. He looked down at her, she was so beautiful. And she was in his bed, with his arms wrapped around her. Nathan could hardly believe how lucky he was. Haley opened her eyes, the tears wore off a little while ago. She looked deeply into his eyes, like she wanted him to read her deepest feelings and emotions.

Nathan was captivated by her intense stare. He couldn't look away if he wanted to. Haley had his complete attention, and he was waiting for her to make the next move. She seemed to realize this. An embarrassed sensation filled her, but she knew there was no way to avoid what came next.

Carefully, Haley raised her head from his pillow, touched his cheek with her hand, and connected their lips. It was the perfect first kiss. It was demanding. It wasn't too rough or too light. It was filled with emotion, longing, want, lust.. love?

It was everything he ever could have wanted out of his first kiss.

It was everything she ever could have wanted out of her first, real and true kiss.

* * *

**Please leave a review and I might finish the next chapter very very soon! :)**


End file.
